About the Book
Within the margins of an antique book, a timeless love waits for a young woman on the precipice of a terrible mistake in this enthralling new novel from the acclaimed author of Some of It Was Real.
Constance Sparks always says yes…when her capricious best friend needs money; when her boss gives her more responsibility without a raise; and when her boyfriend, Hayden, who is very kind but also secretive, asks her to marry him.
While planning their wedding—and struggling with anxiety about the right course for her future—Constance researches the history of her antique engagement ring and unearths the name of a man who might be connected to it, plus his tragic love story. When she finds a book of letters in her library’s old manuscript section written by the long-dead man, Constance is deeply touched by his words and leaves a note for him confessing her uncertainty and doubts. She’s shocked days later to find a response tucked among the pages.
As the notes continue to arrive, Constance finds herself quickly falling in love with a ghost and putting her real-life relationship in jeopardy. Will a bond based on letters impossibly sent from the past derail her future? Or will Constance discover her voice and risk everything for the chance to somehow connect with her true soul mate?
My Review
What an absolute charming novel that put me in my feels right from the beginning. We follow Constance, a people-pleaser that says yes to everything even if it doesn’t feel exactly right. From supporting her father’s upcoming parole from prison, to taking on more work responsibilities with a raise not in sight, to saying yes to a proposal from her boyfriend, Constance never quite feels like she is in control of her life. While she participates in the wedding planning process, she begins to wonder if she really knows who her fiancé is – and does he really know her? Constance isn’t open about her father’s past and why he is in prison, but when Hayden gives her a stunning and expensive wedding ring while on a teacher’s salary, she wonders if she might not really know him either. She decides to learn more about the antique ring, and finds her way into a tragic love story from decades earlier. While Constance balances writing letters to a ghost (and somehow receiving letters back), a fight with her best friend, and trying to help the animal shelter where she volunteers at from shutting its doors, she begins to learn what it means to stand up for herself, say no, and find her own voice.
I was positively enthralled by this one. Constance was extremely likeable and as a people-pleaser myself, I could relate to a lot of her inner thoughts and feelings. I enjoyed her love stories and how they were not the main focus of this book – it really was a novel about self-growth and I could appreciate that. The letters to the ghost was such a great touch – I was fully invested in that plot point and thought it made a great addition to the story. This is wonderful novel to cuddle up to during the fall days with the perfect blend of realism and romance.
5 stars
